. The Greenest Home, by Julie Torres Moskovitz (Princeton Architectural Press, 192 pages) $53
THE word "passive" can conjure up images of submission and a lack of resistance but when it comes to buildings there is a whole other definition.
Passive housing is the leading edge of energy efficiency. It is designed so that little energy is needed to both heat and cool its interior due to its superior insulation, being virtually airtight and deriving its heating from the sun.
The passive home movement has been growing over the past decade and now there are a wide variety of these buildings around the world.
Author Julie Torres Moskovitz gives a detailed explanation of the principals of passive building construction before taking us on a trip around the world.
From Kansas City to Kamakura, Japan and back to Whistler, outstanding examples of architecture and interior design are shown.
The buildings are all presented through colour photographs of the interior and exterior, floor plans, the construction history and more.
